The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Fox News Network are engaged in a volatile battle over allegations of gender discrimination and harassment.
Catherine Herridge, a news reporter for Fox, has alleged that the network discriminated against her on the basis of her gender and age — providing her unequal opportunities and “disparate pay.” Furthermore, the EEOC says that Fox News retaliated against Herridge by including unfair language in a contract presented to her for renewal in 2008. Essentially, the contract would have stopped Herridge for making discrimination complaints in the future. She did not sign it and thus had to work as an “at will” employee – meaning that she had fewer protections and more stress.

An Executive VP for Fox News Business Affairs responded to the EEOC filing, alleging that the EEOC’s motivation was political and that an earlier press release “conspicuously ignored that [the EEOC] dismissed 98% of [Herridge’s] claims, including the retaliation claim, also finding them to be baseless.”

The EEOC tried to reach an agreement with Fox News without going to litigation but failed, prompting the EEOC to sue in the US District Court. The battle over Herridge’s claim – and the legal implications for Fox – has, predictably, elicited a firestorm of commentary from bloggers, reporters and pundits from across the political spectrum.

An important takeaway here: Fighting back against an employer who has mistreated you or who has retaliated against you for complaining about mistreatment can be an involving process. That’s why it’s so important to find a savvy, experienced, battle-proven lawyer to help you strategize effectively. Visit www.jhllp.com, or call (212) 688-5640 to consult today with Joseph & Kirschenbaum about your allegations of gender discrimination, age discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or other workplace mistreatment.

The attorneys at JHLLP can help you utilize the law towards getting you compensated for unfair treatment and stopping bad workplace practices.